The Day the Boulder Bubble Burst

You've probably read about our mass shooting at King Soopers Table Mesa. I'll wager you underestimated the value and inclusiveness of this place though. How could you possibly understand that the day a psycho shot to death 10 community members in and outside our neighborhood store, he also killed a sense of security, peace and safety we had all taken for granted. (And were entitled to.)

To me, Table Mesa King Soopers was a regular morning Starbucks stop, flowers for a friend, a gift card for a client, organic fruit and vegetables, maybe a prescription pickup and definitely, definitely a source of marked down butchery meats for our kitties.  It was quick stop for forgotten ingredients, mid-recipe... like 4x a week! 

I was normally in and out. No drama. There was plenty of expectation they'd have just what I was missing. But if I couldn't find something, there was always a KS employee willing to walk me all the way to the right isle and actively search with me until it was found. 

All of that has changed. 

I'd like to think that when we're done learning to breathe normally in supermarkets again, when the victims have been laid to rest, when the investigative teams have stopped looking for bullet casings and our store has been cleaned up, it will reopen and we'll resume our happy, relaxed south Boulder lives. 

We won't though.  That's impossible. This shooting has forever changed how safe we feel, going about everyday activities in public places.

We used to live in the Boulder Bubble. We bragged about our lives in privileged Boulder, with low crime,  low average BMI, excellent schools and high "happiness" ratings.  Most of us never felt the need to keep doors locked and we enjoyed watching kids buzz back and forth on our neighborhood streets, without adult supervision. We were proud to be part of a city that offers extensive protections and services to groups of at risk community members.

It's not like danger never crossed our minds... We carried pepper spray and cell phones and whistles for dangers of the wildlife kind as we hiked and played in the Boulder foothills! However, we were not prepared to protect ourselves and each other from the devastating effects of an assault weapon, bought legally, by a deranged young man and discharged at the grocery store. 

Yep. Things have changed.  We have changed.  Thoughts and prayers are falling WAY short of being comforting. In fact, the Lauren Boebert's of our country can just stick their thoughts and prayers where the sun doesn't shine! 

Our community is suffering together. One broken person reaching out to help another broken person. And we're trying to do it while simultaneously respecting a COVID-mandated ban on hugs that has been in place more than a year now.

2021 was supposed to be better. 

First photo courtesy of the Daily Camera. Long before I could go there in person. 

Early June... 

We are expecting a fully renovated store to reopen sometime this fall. 

Snowmaggedon 2021

 Oh my! It has been a YEAR since we began sheltering in place.  Can you believe it?

Inside that year we have also had record breaking highs, lows and fires. In the summer of 2020 smoke filled the air, blocked the sun and rained ash down on us. And we thought it all very scary and dramatic. But wait... there's more!

Last week meteorological forecast was for anywhere between 15 and 70" of snow in and around Boulder. More than Denver, more than the Rockies. We were told to expect the snow storm of a generation and everyone made plans to stay home, eat in, shovel a lot and perhaps lose power.  In short, snow would fill the air, block the sun and rain down on us for an extended period of time, at a good clip. 

Oh yeah... daylight savings started Sunday morning too.

Unlike ash, snow causes major infrastructure issues. Roads becoming impassable or dangerous is only fine if you don't need an ambulance, or need to get to work etc. Heavy snow on power lines and trees lead to damage and loss of power - heat, cooking, lights and all those conveniences (I'm talking about you Netflix) we have come rely on. Plowing and shoveling around condos, supermarkets and anything with a parking lot is subject to priority and in this situation, they couldn't keep up with the snowfall anyway.

The snow actually arrived almost 24 hours late. But it was wet and icy and of mud like consistency when shoveling the first 6-8". Heart attack material (no kidding).

Mark and I did very little shoveling on Saturday - in fact I even went out and showed a house to a client. It was snowing, but not so bad. 

Sunday was different. It started in the morning and pummeled us all day long. We geared up and shoveled 3x on Sunday, trying to keep the snow accumulation to a max of 8" or so. I'm pleased to report that my efforts at weight training the last couple months DID pay off and there's no muscle or back pain today, despite the strenuous workouts of Sunday.

The cats also had a couple of excursions outside, but quickly decided it was beyond their skills (or level of enthusiasm) to wade through it. They brought us dangling snowballs as gifts upon their return and dropped them all over the house. Lovely.

Even though every tree had branches bent and stuck to the ground, drowning in snow and ice, we don't appear to have lost branches and for that, I'm very grateful! It helps to just get out there with a broom and knock some weight off, from time to time too.

There go the patio lights!

As for what happened indoors...

We passed these snowy days with a delicious international menu of homemade food, jigsaw puzzles, episodes of Grey's Anatomy and photography from windows.

Corned beef:

Pizza:

Potstickers:

Strognaoff: 

And... popcorn!

Monday morning brought a beautiful sunrise and featured blue sky. The storm has passed. This is very Colorado. The snow is melting and evaporating as I type. And across the 'hood there are possibly sighs of dismay from those who have relished the chance to cross-country ski and snowshoe their way around the neighborhood in a blizzard. 

This amazing pic is courtesy of my neighbor, Jenny! <3

The folks of Boulder are outdoorsy and adventurous. A storm of epic proportions is considered a gift of a different kind. With it brings the chance to play together, exercise differently, help neighbors and get a different perspective on "beauty".  Besides, we have been weathering a lot together this past year and we're STILL HERE. Still enjoying life. Still grateful for challenges and changing vistas, good health and a great community.

COVID Cocktail Hour : The White Lady

 Raise your hand, if like me, you have a liquor cabinet featuring.... you can't remember what's in there!

I have moved twice in the last 5 years and those bottles have been lovingly packed and moved with me. As I pack and unpack I say to myself "I should have a party or something and get rid of these." 

Well, the truth is that parties are out of the question. They have been for a year now and it's unlikely that 2021 will change that in hurry.

Last week, sitting with my friend and neighbor Donnie, having our (what has recently become) Friday afternoon glass of wine together and she mentioned the same thing. She has a liquor cabinet of fun intentions too. Bottles of things one doesn't tend to drink, alone. And by alone, I mean without company, but also without mixers or recipes. 

So right then and there we decided that Friday afternoon wine, would become cocktail hour instead! 

Yesterday was our first effort at being all sophisticated. 

I dug out some Cointreau - contained in a Jameson bottle since I cracked the neck of the Cointreau bottle 10+ ago and had to get creative or throw it out. Absolutely amazing I still remember this considering the nature of the event it happened at, how long ago it was and how cleverly disguised it has been all this time!!! This had to find its way into our first cocktail recipe.

I also found gin, pomegranate liquor, Ouzo, berry schnapps, champagne, vodka, and aged single malt Scotch.

With Cointreau at front and center Mark and I scoured the interwebs for a cocktail recipe that didn't involve buying more alcohol.

Meet the White Lady

Sounds perfectly waspy and privileged and let's be honest, not a big leap from what is happening here!

1 1/2 ounces gin

3/4 ounce Cointreau (or another orange-flavored liqueur)

3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
lemon twist, for garnish

1. Add the gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill two-thirds with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until well-chilled, about 15 seconds.

2. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Ok, now imagine this; The two of us making cocktails in her kitchen with some new cocktail making gear - because we didn't even own a jigger between us. 

Sitting in the living room on a sunny but chilly winter afternoon, holding freezing cold but VERY delicious drinks... nibbling on cheese and petite toasts... reminiscing about the ol' days.

La-de-da! 

The next Friday, Donnie was in charge of our 2nd adventurous foray into the world of DIY cocktails.

Gin martini, straight up, dirty.

 Tipsy much?  

and then it was my turn again... 

Yep, Friday afternoons are a lot more fun than they used to be.

The Blushing Lady 

2 oz Vodka

1 oz Pomegranate Liqueur (Pama)

1 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice

Garnish: Lemon wedge

Garnish: Sugar rim

Rub the lemon wedge on the rim of the glass and dip it in sugar. Set aside.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the vodka, pama and grapefruit juice. 

Shake and strain into prepared glass.

Garnish with a lemon wedge.

SERVE!

Hello to the blushing ladies!!!

Friday March 26th: We drank to the shooting victims, their grieving loved ones, shoppers who narrowly escaped and the first responders who will never be able to un-see the events of Monday March 22nd.

Starting 2021 with a donation and lots of gratitude!

I confess that the days are blurring. With Mark off work I no longer see with clarity, the difference between weekdays and weekends.  And I forgot date night. The first date night of 2021!

So on Saturday January 2nd, we made time to create a date day instead. 

Have you ever been to The Wild Animal Sanctuary (TWAS) in Keenesburg, CO? We decided that a crisp blue-sky day was the perfect time to take drive in the Tesla, a wander around and drink in some stories of rescue animals... and I mean shockingly, disgraceful stories of neglect and abuse - some even coming from now infamous "rescue facilities" in the USA!

The Wild Animal Sanctuary has been around since 1980, but for the first 20 years, it was closed to the public. You see, this place is dead serious about putting the needs of the animals first. The rescued animals are all territorial and with the approach of strangers, comes a flight or fight response... and none of these are really possible in enclosures, which leads to stress. 

Once it was discovered that the animals don't consider the sky to be their territory, elevated platforms and walkways were built and it became possible for people to visit and view lions, tigers, bears, wolves, coyotes, foxes and others, without detrimentally affecting the animals' quality of life. 

Now, about 200,000 visitors per year come to TWAS and are educated about the exotic pet, captivity and breeding issues that exist in the US and other countries. The vast majority of the animals here were confiscated by law enforcement or seized with legal action. Most were born in captivity.

Let's talk about who pays for the staff, facility and animal care.

During the summer months, about 49,000/week of food is needed. That number halves in winter as the bears are hibernating. Most animals are eating meat 3x/week. The bears tend to graze and have food available more often - and the black bears get less meat, more vegetables and fruit. 

ALMOST ALL of the food is donated by Front Range Walmarts! That's right... our big box stores and uber-wealthy families do fill a niche in the USA too and you too can feel good that when you shop at Walmart near here, you are helping to feed these beautiful animals.  Grants and donations also fund the sanctuary, but no, they don't receive State or Federal funding.

There is 1.5 miles of elevated walkway and viewing platforms. A little frosty this morning... at 32 degrees.

Fox

Donation plaques. Some are sentimental... some hilarious.

Lynx sunning himself on a platform.

This is how he wakes her up!

At just 5 months old, this guy is the baby of the sanctuary.

These two reminded us of our two - on a grander scale!

Life is good!

Each enclosure has a vehicle path all the way around it, and a view.

The grizzly cub series! These triplets are 15 months old.

Arctic wolf. Majestic.

The sanctuary is technically not home to bald eagles, but with copious quantities of fresh meat being delivered to enclosures, it's no wonder that each year these eagles make a stop on their way to/from somewhere else. They tend to arrive mid Jan and stay a couple of weeks, but this year they were early. Don't miss your chance to get up close and personal with a national treasure. There are about 40 of them hanging out at TWAS right now. Many are juvenile and haven't got the white head feathers yet. All are breathtaking and yep, they often alight on posts within 20 feet of visitors and stay there for long periods!

This big boy is one of four mates living together in a huge enclosure.

He heads up one of the 4 blended family prides.

When a black bear came unexpectedly and briefly out of hibernation today... his tiger neighbor, was curious. The bear poked around in the sun, posing for pics and rubbing his head and butt against a post, then went back to bed.

Chubby is an understatement!

Some of the tigers choose smaller enclosures over large, open spaces. Several have PTSD type issues after spending a lifetime in a tiny space and others are simply at an age where "assisted living" has become more appropriate and comfortable.

The females are on birth control to stop unwanted pregnancies. If a male is neutered, he suffers negative health effects from the reduced hormones, including the loss of his mane - which helps determine his place in the pride. 

I guess what I loved the most about seeing the critters at The Wild Animal Sanctuary is that this is their FOREVER home. Animals that started out in roadside zoo's, private houses and tiny cages, those that had never smelled fresh air or felt grass under their feet, had never learned to run... found their "happily ever after" here, on 789 acres of natural habitat. They can expect to be heaped in love, have a reliable source of food and world class health care for the rest of their lives. Most of them have found new friends, a new pride or blended family. They can be seen playing, resting together and simply looking relaxed and happy at The Wild Animal Sanctuary.

Admission to TWAS:

Right now you need to wear a mask inside the buildings and when passing close to others on the elevated walkway. Reservations are not required unless your party is 10+ people. They are open 7 days a week from 9am and you'll want to allow 3 hours or more, IMHO.There is a 12 minute orientation video to watch before you can begin the walkway outside. 

Tickets are $30 for an adult... and please know this is the base price. There is an expectation that you'll also make a self-determined donation. Trust me, you'll be like 5 mins into the video before wondering if it's too late to donate more. It's not. Donations can also be made any time from the comfort of your own home, using the website: https://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/